Providence's Sam Roecker Named 2012-13 American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Female Scholar-Athlete of the YearThe Conference also announced the female winners of the 2012-13 American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Institutional Scholar-Athlete Scholarships.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Providence College cross country and track & field standout Sam Roecker has been named the 2012-13 American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The selection was made by the Conference's Academic Affairs Committee.

A senior from Charlton, N.Y., Roecker will receive a $4,000 scholarship, which may be applied to graduate or professional studies. The Conference also announced the female winners of the 2012-13 American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Institutional Scholar-Athlete Scholarships. Each institutional winner receives $2,000 toward graduate studies. Roecker is Providence's fifth BIG EAST Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year selection since the award was first given in 1985.

Roecker helped Providence to a second-place finish at the 2012 NCAA Cross Country Championships in November as she finished 134th overall and fifth among Friar runners. She placed 30th overall to help Providence to the NCAA Northeast Regional title and was 24th at the BIG EAST Championships as the Friars took third in the team scoring.

A 2012 captain of the cross country team, Roecker led the Friars to three top-11 national finishes, a regional title and a regional runner-up showing in her career. She also has participated as a member of Providence's indoor and outdoor track & field teams.

Roecker holds a 3.6 grade-point average while pursuing degrees in biology and health policy management. She is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma - a national college athlete honor society - and Alpha Epsilon Delta, which is a pre-medical honor society. She is a four-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team selection.

Roecker has contributed to a number of community service ventures, including volunteering at the Friends of the Poor road race sponsored by the St. Vincent DePaul Society as well as a number of athletics department-sponsored events. She has collected and distributed items for the Amos House, a Providence-based social services agency, and for Shoes4Souls, a charity organization that distributes shoes to people in need.

The American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is one of a number of scholarships presented by the BIG EAST Conference and American Eagle Outfitters during the 2012-13 academic year. Thirty student-athletes (one male and one female from each of the BIG EAST's 15 member institutions) will be named as the winners of the American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Institutional Scholar-Athlete Scholarships. The conference also names male and female American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Basketball Scholar-Athletes of the Year and an American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year.